Unlikely
by McFinnagen
Summary: GaaShika yaoi
1. Chapter 1

_He sat cross legged on the wooden panels of his floor, listening to the commotion that began on the other side of his door. His siblings raged throughout the house, throwing objects to the floor as they yelled and screamed at each other, this was how they communicated; with the use of unnecessary aggression. Kankuro, the eldest of the three was a drunk who often came home sputtering nonsense, and Temari, their sister was the town's whore. Not a prostitute, they even had more morals then his slut of a sibling, but an average day ho. Gaara considered himself to be the ordinary one of the three, he attended school, ran errands, even chatted with the townsfolk, anything to escape the horrors which awaited him at home. But even he had his flaws. _

_When the screaming died down the redhead carefully crawled to his desk drawer, pulling it open without much hesitation. He scanned the items lying inside and slowly removed a knife, staring in some sick fascination at its sharpened blade. Slowly, he rolled his sleeve up and pressed the cold metal against the pale soft flesh that covered his wrists. He then counted to three before sliding it along his skin, staring in awe as crimson red began to seep from the wound, trailing down his arm to his elbow, where it began to drip onto the floor. Gaara then began to undress himself until his clothes lied in a pile next to him, and very carefully carved small, precise lines into his skin. He began with his arms, and then moved to his chest, after allowing the new wounds to bleed he finished with his thighs, breathing heavily in anticipation. This was his way of dealing with life, his way of releasing the negative energy that he stored throughout his body. It had begun when he was around the age of fourteen, but progressed into high school, and now that he was in college he found the act to be quite pleasing. He knew the way people thought about this, the way it was looked down upon in society, but people had no say in the matter, they were the ones who drove him to this sadistic insanity. _

_After an hour of this Gaara pulled himself up and slowly made his way towards the bathroom. By now his siblings had locked themselves up into separate rooms, sleeping or crying themselves to sleep, whichever one they did. And he made his way down the hall, turning to the door at the far right. Upon entering he began on cleaning himself, wrapping his body in a wrap, and after he made his way back towards his own room, shutting the door softly behind him. Quickly the redhead made his way to his bed, burying himself beneath the sheets. There was only a couple hours left before he was to get up and begin his day, and this surely would take all the energy he could muster up. _

_Gaara thought for a while longer before closing his eyes and drifting off into a light slumber, dreaming about a world without imperfections, a world where he could just be himself._

* * *

_He woke to the teacher standing over him, the tip of a ruler lying against the wood of his desk. He had fallen asleep in class, as usual, and the teacher after seeing this decided to wake him, offering him a pink slip for detention. Gaara took it with slight annoyance and stuffed it into the denim pocket of his jeans. When class ended the redhead made his way towards the library where detention was often held. _

_Upon arriving he saw the usual trouble makers, Sasuke who sat at a table in the front, by himself, his head buried in some magazine, Sakura, the stalker, who sat in a seat nearest to the Uchiha, eyeing him openly, and Kiba who stood in a corner staring out of a window. _

_He chose a table in the back, farthest from everyone else, a place where he often slept waiting for his hour to be up. But on this particular day, as he was just about to fall asleep, he heard an unfamiliar voice that sounded just feet away from where he sat. _

"_Hey?" _

_Gaara slowly sat upright, and turned to acknowledge the stranger who stood before him. The black strands of his hair were tied back in a ponytail that seemed to spike at the end, and the browns of his eyes were almost dull as if life we're too boring for the man. His torso was covered by a leafy green top and his hands were jammed into the pockets of his black cargo pants, his backpack slung over one shoulder. _

"_Can I sit?" _

_He eyed the boy who raised an eyebrow questioningly, then pondered this thought. After thinking this over he quickly shook his head, muttering a simple, "No." _

_The dark haired man nodded and then made his way over to the opposite side of the table, ignoring the redhead's daunting glare. He swung his backpack onto the seat next to him and then sat himself down, leaning far back into his chair. _

"_Thanks for the seat." _

_Gaara shot a glance towards the boy who sat looking up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought. He was rude, arrogant; someone the redhead couldn't see himself getting close too. By now he just wanted to leave, to go home and relieve himself from this pain, but he had at least a half hour more so he would just have to wait it out. _

_He resumed his earlier task and came to rest his head back onto the table between the two, closing his eyes as he began to drift off into a light slumber, occasionally waking to the sound of feet pounding against the floor. He wasn't sure how much time had passed but when the teacher excused him from the room, she not only called his name but the stranger's as well, Shikamaru. _

_The two stood up at the same exact time and made their way towards the door, brushing passed each other. Together they walked in silence until they came upon the entrance of the school where he watched Shikamaru pull a pair of keys out from his pants pocket. _

"_Well, bye I guess." _

_After saying this Shikamaru began to head towards his own car, only managing to take a few steps before Gaara called out to him. _

"_Hey," The redhead muttered awkwardly, "You think I could get a ride? Just this once?" _

_There was a short pause before he answered, suddenly seeming amused, "And why should I give you a ride?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as his lips curled into a smile, "Even if it is 'just this once'?" _

"_Listen," Gaara began, his voice tinged with annoyance, "I just need a ride; if you won't give me one I'll just walk myself home." _

_The two eyed each other before Shikamaru shrugged and continued on the pathway to his own car, stopping at a black colored Dodge Charger with lime green racing stripes. He made his way to the side of the car and unlocked the door, sliding into the driver's seat. After a few minutes the ignition roared and he backed out of his space, his eyes again wandering over to the redhead who stood obviously annoyed. _

_He leaned out of the window and winked at the redhead who ignored the gesture, and then sped down the road, disappearing amongst the other cars, leaving Gaara where he stood, alone._

* * *

_It was late in the evening when Gaara arrived home, and the chaos had already begun. Quickly he made his way to his room, shutting the door behind him, and listened to the constant yelling that sounded through the halls. He thought about his life, about his siblings, school, even Shikamaru and again he reached for the same blade that took all his pain away. With the blood came a feeling of anguish and with this came plenty of tears. _


	2. Chapter 2

_He woke to another day in detention, surrounded by the usual suckers; Kiba this time with his dog, Akamaru, Sasuke with some playboy magazine and Sakura staring intently at the Uchiha who could never return her love. It was sad really, being stuck with such a bunch but it was routine. In truth here was better than home, and they probably thought so to since they were here day after day doing the same exact thing. They never talked or invaded another's privacy, they respected that, this was an escape from the outside world, but occasionally they would get that one who managed to land detention and treat it as such, which was what he assumed Shikamaru to be. _

_He thought about this for a while longer wondering what the others could be running away from. From the looks of it the female was just a groupie who followed his every move, but that didn't explain the other two. Kiba never as so much looked his way and Sasuke kept to himself, seemingly lost in his various types of magazines. His thoughts were soon cut short as the teacher called his name and he excused himself from the room, hurrying over to the front of the school. The walk home was long and tiring but if he tried he could make it there within the hour, something he wasn't sure he wanted to do. It was around four in the afternoon and his sister would soon be getting home, shortly followed by his brother. The two never much bothered him, in their eyes he felt like a failure, someone not worth their appraisal but when it came to each other they couldn't stand it. And he wanted to be there before any of them had the chance to begin on their usual tantrums. _

_Gaara hurried down the road leading away from the school and turned to the long path that awaited him. He began with a slow pace, looking from the trees to the birds and the cars that passed them by. He was in a somewhat pleasant mood, that was until he saw a familiar Charger heading his way. _

'_Please don't see me.' He thought, turning his head to the side as the car drove passed him, his speakers blaring. Shortly after there was a screeching of tires, and the car began to back up until it stopped right next to the redhead. _

"_Hey fire crotch." _

_By now the music had died down and Gaara reluctantly turned to acknowledge the dark haired man who called out to him. Shikamaru sat with a smirk, leaning back into the driver's seat, one hand on the wheel. _

"_Need a ride?" _

"_A ride?" He spat, averting his eyes to the path that lied ahead of him, "Why would I take a ride from you?" _

"_Come on will you? I'm trying to be nice here." Shikamaru leaned over to the passenger's seat, opening the door as an invitation. The redhead stood for a minute, doubtful, but then gave in and cautiously entered the vehicle, slamming the door shut as he buckled himself in. _

_The raven haired boy began to play with his radio, taking out a series of disks before deciding on one. As he placed it into the CD player he took off down the road, turning a sharp corner as Are You Gonna Be My Girl began to play. _

_He was hitting eighty as he continued on down the road, drifting into the streets and cutting off cars all the while singing along to the song, shouting at the top of his lungs. It was all irritating and by now it had become clear that he hadn't offered to take Gaara home, so with much annoyance the redhead asked just where they were headed. _

"_Just picking up a friend." He answered, bobbing his head to the side with the beat of the music, "And then to the arcade probably." _

"_Arcade?" Gaara asked as the man slowed, pulling up in front of a house. There was a chubbier boy who stood on the sidewalk and upon seeing them he made his way to the car, sliding into the seat behind the two. "I assumed you were taking me home." _

"_Choji, Gaara" Shikamaru introduced the two, ignoring the redhead who sat irritated, "Gaara, Choji." _

"_Hey." Choji said, glancing towards his friend, "Change this crap will you? Play something good for once." _

"_Yeah yeah I know what song you want." The raven haired man began to flip through the songs, stopping on track eleven of the CD. As he took off down the road All Signs Point to Lauderdale began to play, blaring through the stereo. Shikamaru sat with a grin, watching the two from the rear view mirror. Choji sat in the back, lip singing to the song, and Gaara still sat seemingly displeased. _

_But the redhead had known this song word for word, he had fallen in love with it years ago, to him it was the theme song of the town. He wanted to rock out, to sing along with the singer, jam out to the beat, but he could never act in such a way while Shikamaru was in his presence, could he? _

_He thought about this for a moment before Choji nudged his shoulder, grabbing his attention. _

"_Play it again will you?" The chubbier boy asked, nodding towards the player. _

_Gaara hit rewind and listened to the familiarity of the guitar. They were in another place of town now, someplace he had never ventured, he didn't know how to act, what to say, until Choji shook his shoulder taking him by surprise. _

"_Let loose will you?" He said, smiling at the redhead, "I mean what do you have to lose? It's just us here." _

_He stared at Choji who rocked out in the backseat, singing to the song. He was astonished as to how open this boy was, how fun he could be. He was tired of being stressed all the time, having to worry about so much. Choji nudged him again and soon Gaara found himself jamming with the male, rocking out on an air guitar, for a moment he forgot about his problems, and lived in the moment; Away from home, his family and his pessimistic mind. _

"_That's it!" The brunette yelled, joining Gaara in his new profound excitement. "My man Gaara on the air guitar!" _

_By now the car had stopped and they had arrived at their destination, but Shikamaru hadn't the heart to tell them. He enjoyed watching Gaara let loose, become someone else even if it was for a couple hour. The song came to an end, and the redhead suddenly turned to him, eager. _

"_Come on." Gaara laughed, "Let loose will you?" He jabbed at the button and the song played back. It began with Choji singing, then Gaara at the guitar, and lastly Shikamaru came in beating the steering wheel as if it were a drum. The three rocked out in the parking lot of an old arcade, being as loud as they possibly could, and this continued until they wore themselves out and thought it best to end their day and return home. _

_It was late into the evening when he stepped through those doors, surprised by the silence that awaited him. In the kitchen sat Kankuro, beer cans cluttered all around him. He glanced towards the redhead and then approached him; his hands clenched into fists, their sister nowhere to be seen. _

"_Just where in the hell were you?" The older male shouted, grabbing hold of his younger brother. Gaara stood startled by the brunette's actions, unsure of how to react. Kankuro shook him, in an attempt to get an answer, "Who were you with?" _

_He stood motionless, struggling to gain hold of his voice, but when he opened his mouth to speak nothing came out, and this angered the older boy greatly. _

_His grip tightening, Kankuro lifted one fist into the air, wobbling ever so slightly as he brought it down onto Gaara. Gaara stumbled back, placing a trembling hand over the now bruised eye, looking to his brother who desperately tried to regain his posture. _

"_T-The rooms spinning." _

_The older male fell to the floor; unable to control himself anymore he let it all out. Gaara left him in his own vomit as he hurriedly made his way to his own room, desperate to escape. Once inside he grabbed the knife and began to relieve himself from this nightmare he called life. _


	3. Chapter 3

"_Gaara, times up." _

_The two looked to the redhead who held his head low as he walked across the room. He had shown up with a black eye and when people asked he made up some lame excuse about having gotten into a fight where he of course won. But they knew different, despite what everyone else had chosen to believe Kiba and Sasuke clearly knew what had happened that night. As he left the Uchiha shot a glance towards the brunette who simply shrugged and continued on playing with his pup. _

_He made his way out to the front of the school and began down the path towards his own home. Shortly after walking a leafy green colored Prius pulled up next to him, and in the driver's seat sat the brunette from the day before. _

"_Get in?" Choji snorted. As Gaara buckled himself in the male turned, glancing towards his black eye. "What happened there?" _

"_Got into a fight," He answered, "You should've seen the other guy." _

"_Yeah?" Choji laughed as he began down the street, flipping through station after station as he tried to find the right song to fit the mood, "Wish I was there." _

_It turned silent between the two as they continued on down the street, turning corner after corner until arriving in front of a small one story house. The brunette cut off the engine and took his key from the ignition, sliding out of the driver's seat. Gaara soon did the same, and found himself entering the house of Shikamaru who sat in the living room, waiting. _

"_Took you long enough." He greeted the two, pointing a slender finger towards Gaara and his battle wound. "What in the hell happened to you?" _

"_He got into a fight." Choji answered with a grin, disappearing into the kitchen as he began his search for food. _

_Shikamaru continued to stare at Gaara who began to squirm about uncomfortably, "A fight?" He asked, raising a thin dark eyebrow, "With whom?" _

"_It doesn't matter." He muttered, stepping passed the male as he joined his friend in the raid of the kitchen, desperate to avoid Shikamaru's prying eyes. "So what's happening today?" _

"_We could always go pay a visit to the asshole who fucked up your eye?" _

_The two turned towards the dark haired male who stood now leaning against the fridge, Choji stared, intrigued by his friend's sudden anger, and Gaara sat, uncomfortable about the whole situation. _

"_Sounds like fun," Choji chimed in, glancing towards the redhead, "What's his name?" _

"_It's not impor-_

"_Stop giving us that bullshit will you?" Shikamaru snapped taking the two by surprise. Choji stared in disbelief, but soon his emotions were replaced with a grin and he gave a big hearty laugh, "As your friend it's our job to defend your name, and that eye isn't bringing you or any of us justice. Let us do our job and tell us his name." _

"_My friend?" Gaara spat, rolling his eyes, "You're my friend? You come around, kidnap me, and call me fire crotch of all things and you think you're my friend?" He grabbed at his bag and stepped passed the two, towards the front door where he glanced back, "Fuck off will you?" And then he was gone. _

_Shikamaru stood, speechless, unsure of what to say. He hadn't meant to irritate the boy; he had just wanted to protect the redhead. He thought about this, debating on whether to chase after him or not, but then Choji caught his attention as he continued to laugh. _

"_You're so obvious ya know?" The brunette snorted, slamming the fridge shut, "You don't get that mad over nothing." _

"_What're you saying?" _

_Choji sighed, he to now leaning against the fridge's sleek exterior, "I'm saying go after him, stop wasting your time here and go."_

* * *

_It was late into the afternoon and Gaara was nearly home, he had stormed out of the house in such a hurry he thought of no other place to go. Surely Temari would be back to occupy their alcoholic brother and he could retreat to the sanctity of his room, as he always had. After a short while he turned into his neighborhood, slowly walking amongst the houses. It wasn't long after until he heard a screeching of tires, and turned to see a familiar black Charger racing down the street towards him. _

"_Fuck." _

_Gaara raced up the sidewalk as the car sped up, desperate to get into his own home, but before he could Shikamaru abruptly pulled the car to the side, swung the door open and approached the redhead at an alarming rate. _

_They were in front of his house, but Gaara couldn't move, he made no attempt to leave. He didn't want to drag his friend on, but he also couldn't imagine having the man know where he lived, so he stood motionless afraid of what could happen. _

_Once standing in front of the redhead Shikamaru drew back his fist, his knuckles eventually colliding with the pale flesh that was the boy's cheek. Gaara staggered back, confused by the events that had just transpired. _

_Shikamaru then pated his cheek as the skin turned a rosy red, "That's for worrying me, fire crotch." He grinned at this, crossing his arms behind his head. _

_The redhead stood still for a moment, he felt angry, upset, even hurt. And then with all the strength he could muster up he drew his own fist back, and threw it out against his friend, listening with some sort of satisfaction as it collided with the male's jaw, sending him backwards. _

_After composing himself Shikamaru drew his eyes towards the redhead who began to double over, holding his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably. He allowed his backpack to fall from his shoulders as he continued on, and soon his laughter turned to sobs, and he began to cry out, tears rolling down his cheeks. His friend stared in confusion but something moved him. Before he knew it Shikamaru was holding the boy close to his body, allowing the tears to stain his shirt. He held Gaara close in an attempt to reassure him, he spoke no words but brought one hand up to stroke the red locks of his hair until Gaara seemed to calm and the two stood awkwardly against each other. Gaara was the one to pull away first, picking his bag up from where it lay. For a moment he thought about apologizing for all that just happened, explaining himself, but how would Shikamaru take it? Could he bare his scars and expect his friend to accept them? He was unsure of how to act, so with his head held low he retreated inside the house, slamming the door shut between the two. _

_Gaara stood on the other side, leaning on it for support. He had ruined everything he knew, and the male would want nothing to do with him. The raven haired boy would go and tell Choji all that had happened and the two would treat him like a stranger, like the outcast he was. He began to cry again, closing his eyes to the world, he wanted to disappear and leave this life for good._

* * *

_Shikamaru stood outside for another minute, thinking back to all that had just happened. He wanted to knock on the door but something inside him told him otherwise and so with that in mind he stepped back into his Charger, glanced back at the house once more and revved his engine before taking off down the street from whence he came. _


	4. Chapter 4

_It was the weekend and Gaara had the house to himself. Kankuro had left early as his job required him to do so and Temari had left to meet up with one of her many boyfriends. He could've gone out himself but he hadn't the energy to do so. Since last night he could hardly sleep and his cheek felt sore from where the man had hit him, that man being Shikamaru. _

_He winced at the name, not only had he hit him and bruised his face Gaara acted in such a way he never thought he could. He had lunged himself at the man, and then broke down in tears creating quite the scene, and he hated himself for it. Of all the people to turn too, why did it have to be Shikamaru? _

_But that was all done and over with, after such an incident he was sure the male would stop coming around knowing that anyone with a sane mind would drop him like the sack of shit he was. _

_He slowly made his way towards the kitchen, scratching at the scabs that had formed on his arms. He picked at them until they bled, and cleaned them off in the sink, watching as water mixed with blood and vanished down the drain. After a while of this he decided on a late breakfast, debating on eggs or cereal. Gaara was never the cook, not that he was ever hungry, but this was some way to pass the time until his siblings returned home which wouldn't be for another couple of hours. As he began on his eggs a knock sounded on the door, startling him and anxiously he made his way over to the entrance opening it only a crack. _

"_Come on man," Choji shouted, "it's cold out here." _

_Gaara stepped back inviting the male inside, and Choji stared at his friend in silence, nodding towards the new bruise. "What happened there?" He asked, turning as he followed the sweet aroma to the kitchen where he began working on the egg, adding all kinds of seasoning to the mix. _

"_Doesn't matter," He replied quickly, sitting himself at the kitchen table as he watched the brunette make his way around the kitchen, from the stove to the cabinets and finally the fridge. "How the hell do you guys know where I live anyways?" _

"_Shikamaru told me," Choji answered, fishing the egg out onto a plate. With one hand he grabbed at a fork and stabbed at his meal, hurriedly finishing it off and with the other he took large sips from a jug of milk that no one had seemingly touched. "Beside what happened with you two? He came back all out of it and shit, told me to come check up on you." _

"_And he couldn't come?" Gaara asked, feeling somewhat disappointed. _

"_Nah," He answered, sitting himself at the seat opposite of the redhead, "Shikamaru's a sensible person ya know, but when it comes to feelings he's not so good with expressing them. He can be a prick at times, don't get me wrong but you just need to understand where he's coming from and trust me when it comes to you he cares much like a true friend would." _

_Gaara thought for a moment, and then headed back towards his room, grabbing clothes from a pile that lied on the wooden floorboards of his bedroom. Quickly he dressed himself in a long sleeved crimson top with black denim jeans and made his way back towards the kitchen where Choji sat patiently waiting._

"_Headed somewhere?" The brunette asked, grabbing at the jug of milk. _

_Gaara nodded as the two headed towards the door, locking it behind them. "I need a ride."_

* * *

_Shikamaru leaned back into the couch as he stared up at the ceiling. He hadn't slept since the incident, and that had been the day before. Every time he closed his eyes he thought of the redhead who at the moment seemed so helpless. Maybe he should've brought himself to knock on that door, to yell Gaara's name, but that was in the past and if that was the thing to ruin their friendship then he would just have to live with the consequences. _

_The front door opened, and he knew it was Choji reporting on what he had seen. But instead of his friend the redhead appeared in the entryway of the living room, looking from him to the couch he lied on. _

"_Hey," Gaara began, turning to the kitchen. He began to rummage through the cabinets until he found a frying pan, and then opened the fridge, pulling out a carton of eggs, "I'm hungry and Choji ate the last of the eggs, hope you don't mind." _

_He placed the pan over the flames, heating the metal, but as he did so his palm touched the edge and Gaara jumped back, crying out. Quickly he turned to the sink and turned on the faucet, not bothering to roll up his sleeve as he stuck his palm under the cold water. Shikamaru was by his side seconds later, taking charge of the situation. He grabbed at the redheads arm and rolled up his sleeve to keep it from becoming any more soaked, as he did this the scabs became visible and Gaara yanked his arm back, away from the male. _

_Shikamaru was the first to speak, and when he did his voice was far from a whisper. _

"_What in the hell is that?" He shouted, his eyebrows drawing together in anger. _

"_Mind your own business." Gaara retorted, meeting his friend's gaze with the same kind of bitterness. _

"_My own business?" Shikamaru spat, grabbing at the redhead's arm, "Are you fucking stupid?" _

"_And what if I am?" Gaara tried to yank his arm away from the man's grasp, but his grip only tightened, "What does this have to do with you anyways, I'm just a fucking loser in your eyes, someone you can drag wherever you please, isn't that right?" _

"_You know what?" Shikamaru bit at the bottom of his lip, in an attempt to calm himself, "You're such a fucking child you know that? Here I was worrying about you, believing that you were someone cool, you're nothing but a fucking child." _

"_So that's all I am to you right?" Gaara asked, finally yanking himself free of Shikamaru's grip, "A fucking child?" _

_Shikamaru thought about this before lashing out, kicking at the cupboard nearest to the two, denting it with his foot, "I hate you." _

_It grew silent between the two men as Shikamaru again tried to calm himself, but then he continued on with his earlier thoughts. _

"_I fucking hate you." He spat, now glaring at the redhead who stood, speechless, "I hate this feeling, I hate how I can't do anything to save you, or help you, I hate the fucking fact that even if you are so close I still can't reach you. How these fucking feelings won't go away, and how everyone else noticed it before me. I fucking hate- _

_Gaara swiftly moved towards the raven haired man before he had a chance to react, and brushed his lips against his, catching the male off guard. Without much hesitation the redhead hardened the kiss, and after a moment Shikamaru returned it with such passion it startled him. But before anything else could happen Gaara pulled away and stared deeply into his friend's rage filled eyes. _

"_Trust me," Gaara spoke softly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lip, "I hate you too."_

* * *

_It was let by the time he had left for home, and even when Shikamaru had offered him a ride he insisted on walking. He needed time to himself, to think about him, his life, and the way it had turned. Everything was going fine, he and Shikamaru had shared mutual feelings, and by the time he arrived home the two were already in bed. At this moment he felt nothing could rain on his parade, he had the man of his dreams, and for once he hadn't felt the need to turn to the blade. So with this in mind he headed for bed, drifting off into a deep sleep as he thought of Shikamaru and even their friend, Choji. _


	5. Chapter 5

_It had been a couple of weeks since the two had started going out, and even if their title changed, their relationship remained the same. Shikamaru picked up the redhead every day at four, after detention, and it wasn't until this particular day when he decided to ask Gaara about his personal life. _

_They were sitting on the couch of Shikamaru's pad when he brought himself to ask the all-important question, what had driven him to such an act? Gaara turned silent as he thought of what to say, how to reveal himself to his most beloved. He ended up going into great detail of all he had to deal with, starting with his siblings and the stress he dealt with when the two were in a room together. Hearing this angered Shikamaru, but he sat as calmly as he could, listening. _

_By the time they were through with the conversation it was late into the evening, and Gaara decided it was about time for him to head home. The two slid into the seats of the familiar Charger and sped down the street, but upon arriving Shikamaru was the first to step out, and bounded to the front door, leaving Gaara where he sat, startled. _

_He rang the doorbell again and again until someone opened the door, an older brunette stared at him in a drunken haze. "Who the fucks are you?" Kankuro asked, his words slurring against each other. Gaara was by his side in a matter of minutes, pressing passed the two males as he made his way into the small house. _

_He had expected his boyfriend to leave, to wave him goodbye, but Shikamaru pressed passed the brunette and stood beside him in the room, his eyes going from Kankuro to his sister who stared incredulously. _

"_T-This," Gaara stammered, "I-Is my friend." _

"_Friend?" Shikamaru grinned, wrapping one arm around the redhead "Cut the bullshit will you? I'm his boyfriend." _

_There was a moment of silence as the two siblings thought about what was just said. With a look of confusion Kankuro was the first to speak, wobbling slightly on his feet. _

"_Boyfriend?" He asked, the boy's words finally registering, "Gaara's not gay." _

_Gaara glanced towards his sister who simply sat at the edge of the couch, cocking her head to the side. She chuckled, mostly to herself but remained silent, seemingly amused by the whole situation. _

"_Anyway," Shikamaru began again, turning his full attention to Kankuro, "I heard you were the one who gave him the black eye?" _

"_And?" Kankuro spat, now leaning against the wall for support, "W…What of it?" _

_In a split second Shikamaru had closed the distance between the two, and listened with satisfaction as his fist collided with the side of the older man's jaw. Kankuro cried out in surprise as he fell to the floor, lying there for a couple of minutes before trying to hoist himself back up onto his own two feet. _

_Gaara stood speechless, he knew he should've stopped his friend, but it also felt good having someone fight for him, to show him he was much more than he gave himself credit for. _

_Shikamaru then turned to the blonde who raised a thin eyebrow, "I'm sure you won't mind if he comes and stays with me?" _

_Temari thought about this, her eyes shifting from the male to her younger brother. She was envious of the fact that he had found someone willing to act in such a way, to defend his honor, envious of their love, but she also felt somewhat happy for Gaara. He had found someone more than willing to take him away from this nightmare of a life. She nodded simply, and then focused her attention onto her older brother who lied on the floor, "Serves you right." She spat, a coy smile now spreading across her face. _

_Gaara had hurried to his room, and began on packing his belongings. Emptying his closet, even making sure to take the sheets he slept on every night, all was packed until he came to the knife which lied in the desk drawer. He thought about this, should he bring it, or leave it where it lay? Upon admiring the blade his skin itched, his veins pulsed, but then he thought better and closed the drawer, shutting the door behind him as he exited what was once his room. He no longer needed the blade, he had Shikamaru, and that was more than enough. _

_The two left the house and stepped back into the vehicle, backing out into the street. Gaara began to flip through the tracks until Are You Gonna Be My Girl began to play, and the two sung along with the singer as Shikamaru revved the engine, and then sped down the street towards the sanctity of their very own home. _


End file.
